DHAKA – Operations at Bangladesh’s largest port, Chittagong, came to a standstill on Sunday as an ongoing strike by customs officials brought all shipping activity to a grinding halt, intensifying fears of a major blow to the nation’s economy.
The strike stems from a deepening dispute between employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the government, which plans to restructure the tax authority by dividing it into two separate bodies. Customs staff, resisting the move, have staged on-and-off walkouts for weeks — but Sunday’s total shutdown marks the most disruptive episode yet.
“Chittagong Port typically handles between 7,000 to 8,000 containers daily, but today, everything has stopped,” confirmed Mohammed Omar Faruq, secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority. “The economic impact is enormous,” he told AFP.
Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest garment exporter, relies heavily on its textile sector, which accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s exports. Industry leaders warn that the strike’s ripple effects could devastate the sector.
Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, estimated losses at $222 million due to the operational halt. “The cost of recovery will be staggering — beyond comprehension — and many factories are now at risk of bankruptcy,” he said.
Interim national leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has urged striking NBR employees to end their protest. “We hope NBR’s staff will return to work, setting aside this unlawful action that goes against national interests,” his office said in a statement. “If not, the government will be compelled to take firm action to protect the economy.”
On Sunday, authorities barred NBR staff from entering their office premises to prevent further demonstrations, following a government directive.
Meanwhile, 13 prominent business chambers held a joint press conference on Saturday, calling on the government to resolve the impasse urgently to safeguard the country’s trade-dependent economy.
